Adjusting apparatus



1944. D. T. ROBB 2,355,468

ADJUSTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet l IN VE N TOE 0. 7. E055 N /A ZM HTTOE/VEY Aug. 8, 1944. D. T. ROBB ADJUSTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. TE BB 147' TOE/V5 Y Aug. 8, 1944.

D; T.- ROBB ADJUSTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 JVVENTOR 12 77/9055 BY/AMV Z- ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1944. D. T. ROBB ADJUSTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 W mk TOENEV /N VE N TOR 0. 7. R055 074: z W

Aug. 8, 1944. I D, RQBB 2,355,468

ADJUSTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1942 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 l I I I l l 1 /N VE N TOE D. T'EQBB Patented 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca ADJUSTING APPARATUS Donald T. Robb, Downers Grove, 111., assignor to Western Electric 'Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 10, 1942, Serial No, 461,624

10 Claims. (01. 153-48) This invention relates to adjusting apparatus showing the spring in position to be adjusted and more particularly to apparatus for adjustandgaged: ingthe tension of contact springs. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken sub- It is an object of the-present invention to prostantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 in the vide an automatic apparatus for accurately and direction of the arrows showing the pressure apexpeditiously adjusting an adjustable article. plying means and the gaging means in detail;

In accordance with one embodiment of the Fig. 9 is an exploded view in perspective of a invention, an apparatus is provided for repeatportion of the clamping and pressure applying edly applying pressure to the end of a contact means; an wiper spring when necessary to bend the spring 10 Fig. 101s a circuit diagram illustrating scheto a position where it will exert the proper presmatically the circuit connections and various porsure on the contacts with which it is designedto tions of the electrical control apparatus for the cooperate. The springs are normally bent, in the machine. manufacture thereof, to a position wherethey Referringto the draw n s, wherein like referwill apply more than the desired pressure on ence characters designate the same. parts their associated contacts-and in the present apthroughout the several views, particularly to Fig.

paratus they will, if necessary, be bent in the 1', wherein the apparatus is shown mounted on opposite direction to correct this condition. Bea bench or table 15. The bench or table it has fore and after each bending operation, the tena casing 18 mounted on its upper surface, into sion of the springs is tested and circuits are es- 20 which there extends a drive shaft I'l connected tablished for sorting the springs into three to any suitable source of power, suchas the mogroups, depending upon whether .they have the tor I86 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 10, and correct tension, more than the desired tension having a worm ll mounted upon it in mesh or less than the desired tension. with a worm gear IS. The worm gear I9 is fixed A better understanding of the invention may to a shaft 20, on which there is, in turn, fastened be had by reference to the following detailed dea beveled gear 2! in mesh with a cooperating scription when considered in conjunction with beveled gear 22. The beveled gear 22 (Fig. 2) the accompanying drawings, wherein is mounted on the upper end ofa stud shaft 23 Fig. 1 is a plan view of an adjusting apparatus jdurnalled in a block 24 suitably attached to the for adjusting contact wiper springs in accordso underside of the table ii. The lower end of the ance with the present invention; stud shaft 23 has mounted on it a lever 25, carry- Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken subing at its free end a cam roller 28, which is adaptstantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the died to engage with and drive intermittently a slotrection of the arrows showing a part of the adted plate 21. The plate 21 is in the form of a justing mechanism and a part of the ejecting disc and is attached to a shaft 22, carrying at its mechanism in elevation; upper end a work supporting table 29, which will Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view be indexed step by step to carry springs 30 from of a portion of the apparatus at the ejecting or a loading area, designated generally by the nudelivery station showing the mechanism wheremeral ii, in succession to an adjusting and gagby the springs will be directed to one of the 0 ing station -32 and to a discharge station 34, three containers; The springs 30, which are to be adjusted and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are transverse vertical sectional gaged in the apparatus constituting the preferred views taken substantially along the lines 4-4, embodiment of the present invention, comprise a 5-5 and 5-6, respectively, of Fig. 1 in the disubstantially circular body portion 40, as shown rection of the arrows, Fig. 4 showing details of 45 in Fig. 9, having a central aperture 4| co-axia'l the adjusting mechanism, Fig. 5 showing porwith a semi-circular slot 42. The body'portion tions of the drive mechanism for clamping the 40 has a projection 43 extending from it and a springs at the adjusting station, and Fig. 6 showcontact arm 44 extending from it at mid-point ing portions of the details for applying pressure of the semi-circular slot 42 so that the portion tojthe springs to test them together with a part so of the spring which is to be flexed, in using the of the drive mechanism which controls the elecspring, starts at the ends of the slot 42 and extrical circuits of the apparatus; tends to the opposite end of the contact spring.

- Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary plan sec- The table 29 has positioned on it, adjacent its tional view taken substantially along the line periphery, a series of mounting posts 45, which, l--| of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows u as shown most clearly in Figs. 8 and 9, are provided with an upwardly extending projection 48 adapted to pass through the central aperture 4| in the spring 88 and to cooperate with an L- shaped spring 41 to hold a spring 88 to be ad-. justed and tested in place on the post during the indexing of the table 28. In order to insure that the springs 88 will be properly positioned at the gaging station, a spring pressed center stop 88 is provided for engaging the mounting posts 48 and centering them in position each time the table 28 is indexed. The upper end of the vertically disposed portion of the spring 41 is bifurcated to povide two tines 48 and 48 for bearing against the body portion 48 of the spring 88, the tine 48 extending up into a slot 88 formed by the cooperating surfaces of the body portion 48 and projection 48 of the spring 38L The springs 88.to be tested are placed on the posts 48 manually at the loading area 8| and then will be carried step by step around to the discharge station 84. In being carried around by the table 28, the springs will be tested and, if necessary, adjusted at the station 82 and then will be carried to the discharge station 84, where there is provided means for stripping the springs from the posts 48, as will be described hereinafter.

Within the casing I8, there are mounted a series of switches 88, 88, 81 and 88, which, together with a cam actuated switch 88 mounted on the outer surface of the casing I8, control the timing of various portions of the electrical apparatus to be described hereinafter. Switches 88, 88, 81 and 88 have associated with them cams 88, 8|, 82 and 88, respectively, which control their operation, and the switch 58 is adapted to be actuated by a cam 14 mounted on the outer end of the shaft 28. The cams 88 to 88, inclusive, are mounted upon a cam shaft 64 journalled in the left wall (Fig. 1) of the casing I8 and in a bracket 88 extending into the casing I8. The shaft 84 carries a gear 88 in mesh with a gear 81 of the same size fixed to the shaft 28, whereby the cam shaft 84 is driven at the same speed as the shaft 28.

In addition to the switch actuating cam 14 and the gears 2| and 81, the shaft 28 carries a cam 88 having a series of nine raised portions 88 positioned about its periphery, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6. Cooperating with the cam 88 is a cam lever 18 (Fig. 6) pivoted in a bracket 11 fixed to the side wall of the casing I8. The free end of the lever 18 has a roller 18 rotatably mounted on it and normally engaged by a laterally extending projection 18 of a slide bar 11. The slide bar 11 is slidably mounted in a U- shaped bracket 18 fixed to the sidewall of the casing I6 and has fixed to it adjacent its lower end a pin 18 for receiving the upper end of coil spring 88. The lower end of the coil spring 88 (Fig. 8) is attached to a lever 8| and is pivoted in a bracket 82 mounted on a base member 88, which is, in turn, mounted upon the table I8. Fixed to the underside of the left end (Fig. 8) of the lever 8| is an insulator 84, carrying an adlustable contact 85 in alignment with a contact 88 mounted on the underside of a U-shaped lever 81, which is also pivoted on the bracket 82. The upper portion of the U-shaped lever 81 has a spring 88 adjustably attached to it and the spring 88 has its lower end fixed to the lever 8| adjacent the left end thereof so that the spring 88 normally tends to hold the contacts 88 and 88 in engagement.

Adjacent the upper end of the base of the U- shaped lever 81, there is positioned a contact 88 for engaging an adjustable contact 88 mounted assumes in an insulator 8|, which is, in turn, supported on a support member 82 extending upwardly from basemember 88. The left end (Fig. 8) of the station, there will be no resistance offered to the lowerarm of the U-shaped lever 81 has attached thereto an irregularly shaped spring engaging hook 88, which is adapted to engagethe extending contact arm 44 of the spring 88. If no spring is in position on the post 48 at the gaging spring 88 holding the contacts 88 and 88 in engagement and, consequently, the spring 88 will rock the lever 8| counter-clockwise (Fig. 8) to disengage contact 88 from adjustable contact 88. However, if a spring 88 is in position on the post 48 at the gaging station and the slide bar 11 is moved upwardly and, through the spring 88, tends to pull the lever 8| counter-clockwise, the spring 88 will resist the movement of the hook 88. Thereafter, the strength of a spring 88 within predetermined limits will be determined by the relative time at which contacts 88 and 88 or contacts 88 and 88 open; that is, if contact 88 is moved away from contact 88 before contact 88 breaks with contact 88, the tension stored in the spring 88 is more than the desired amount, whereas, if contact 88 moves out of engagement with the contact 88 before contact 88 disengages from contact 88, this will indicate that the tension in the spring 88 being tested is less than a predetermined amount. In this manner, the tension in the spring 88 may be determined within predetermined limits, as described more in detail in connection with the description of the operation of the apparatus and the circuit.

In order to properly engage the contact arm 44 of the spring 88 with the hook 88, there is provided, adjacent the gaging station 82, a cam bar 84 (Fig. 7) mounted on a bracket 88 for guiding the contact arm 44 under the hook 88. In addition to the cam bar 84, there is provided a cam bar 88 mounted on a bracket 81 for engaging the top of the contact arm 44 as the contact arm passes out from under the hook 88 so that there will be no tendency for the resiliency of the contactarm 44 to snap the spring 88 off of the post 48 as the spring moves out of. the adjusting and gaging station.

In order to hold the spring 88 fixed on the post 48 at the gaging-and adjusting station, there is provided a plunger I88 (Figs. 2 and 8) having a socket I88 formed in its lower end for receIv-' ing the projection 48 on the post 48 in alignment therewith. The plunger I88 is slidably mounted on the lower end of a reciprocable member I81, being mounted for limited movement within the member I81 and being normally urged downwardly by a compression spring I88 (Fig. 2) to a position where the upper surface of a slot I88 formed in the plunger I88 will engage with 'a retainer pin I I8 fixed in the lower end of the member I81. Carried by the plunger I88 are a pair of locating pins III and 2 (Fig. 9) which enter into the slot 42 adjacent the ends thereof to prevent the spring 88 from turning with respect to the post 48 and plunger I88 while the spring 88 is in the gaging and adjusting position. The reciprocable member I81 is slidable in a bearing 8 fixed to a wall of the casing H8 and is normally urged upwardly by a compression spring II4, which is compressed between a shoulder III on the member I81 and an internal shoulder III in the bearing II8. It will be noted, by reference to Figs. 2 and 5, that the upper end of the reciprocable member I81 engages a roller 1 mounted on the left end (Fig. of the lever m. The lever H3 is carried on a pivot pin III fixed in the casing I6 and is free to oscillate about the pin I I3. At its right end, the lever II3 carries a cam roller I in engagement with the upper end of a cam plunger I2I slidable in bearing I22 and carrying at its lower end a cam roller I23 in engagement with a cam I24. Thecam I24 is mounted upon the cam shaft 64 and each time the cam shaft 34 is rotated through a complete cycle, the cam plunger I2I will be reciprocated and will impart reciprocation to the reciprocable or the electrical circuit of the apparatus, in the interval between the engagement of the camming projection I55 by the various camming. pins I53 and if the springbending finger I33 has bent the spring sufllciently to bring it within the acceptable range, the solenoid I54 will be energized to move the left end (Fig-4) of thelever I46 upwardly, thereby to carry the camming projection I55 out of the path or the pins I53. After all of member I01 to carry the plunger I05 down into gripping engagement with a spring 30 positioned upon the post 45, where thespring will be held during the testing and adjustment thereof.

Fixed in the plunger I05 (Figs. 2, 4 and 8) is by the spring I3I to carry a spring bending fin- I ger I33 up out of engagement with a spring 30 mounted upon the post 45 at the adjusting and gaging station 32. The sleeve I32 is provided with an annular shoulder I34 adapted-to be engaged by the spaced fingers of a bifurcated member I35, which is fixed to a substantially vertically extending portion I36 of a bell crank lever I31. The bell crank lever I31 is oscillatable about a pivot pin I33, which is, in turn, fixed in the pivot supporting member I30. A plunger I38 is pivoted to the substantially horizontally extending arm of the bell crank I31 at I40 and is normally urged downwardly by a compression spring I (Fig. 2), which surrounds it, and engages a shoulder I42 fixed to plunger I33. The upper end of the spring I bears against a plate I43 mounted on the reciprocable member I01 and movable therewith. Thus, the plunger I33 is normally urged downwardly for moving the member I35 upwardly (Fig. 8).

. Intermediate its ends, the plunger I33 has a pin I44 extending through it and into slots I45 formed in the forked end of a lever I46. The lever I46 has its opposite end pivoted on a shoulder I41 of a solenoid plunger I43. The solenoid plunger I48 is normally urged downwardly (Fig. 4) by a, compression spring I43 interposed between the shoulder I41 and the bracket I50 to carry the shoulder I41 into engagement with a bracket I5I,'in which there is provided an aper-,

ture I52 for receiving a reduced portion I53 of the solenoid plunger I43 to guide the movement of the plunger. The plunger I48 is adapted to be actuated by a solenoid I54 suitably mounted on the casing I6 and when the solenoid I54 is not energized, the spring I43 will force the plunger I43 downwardly to position a camming projection I55 formed on the lever I46 into the path of a series of camming pins I56. The camming pins 15 I set up to determine into which of three classes an 1 the camming pins I56 have moved past the camming projection I55, the table 23 will be indexed to carry the gaged and adjusted spring 30 out of the adjusting and gaging station 32 and move a new spring into position in the station 32.

As the spring 30 are gaged, circuits will be adjusted spring falls and a control circuit will beset up for controlling a pair of gates I65 and,

I36 at the discharge station 34 to determine whether the spring should be directed through 'a passage I61, a passage I66 or a passage I63 to suitable receptacles positioned beneath these passages.

I56 are adjustably mounted about the periphery of a cam wheel I51 mounted upon the shaft 20 and each of them projects radially slightly beyond the preceding pin to impart successively greater amounts of movement to the parts which they actuate. Thus, when the solenoid I54 is not energized, the lever I46 will be rocked with respect to the plunger I43 and will raise the plunger I33, thereby to force the sleeve I32 downwardly and bend the spring 30 each time one of the camming pins I56 engages the camming projec-. tion I55. The spring 30 will be tested, as will be described in connection with the description At the discharge station 34, there is provided a.

chute I10, into which springs 30 are to be discharged for direction downwardly to either of the passages I61, I63 or I63. The-chute I10 has its inner wall, 1. e., the wallclosest to the table 23, curved toward theposts 45,'as shown at Ill and this wall of the chute I10 cooperates with a stationary cam I12 to cam a spring 30 off of the post 45 and into the chute I10. The cam I12 is mounted on a bent-overportion I13 of a bracket I14, which is, in turn, fixed to the upper end of the chute I10 in any suitable manner. Thus, the

cam I12 and the curved portion I1,I of the chute chanical structure of the apparatus, it will be apparent that each time the table 23 is indexed, a post 45 carrying a spring 30 will be moved into vertical alignment with the plunger I05 and properly aligned therewith by means of the center stop 35. Then, while the spring 30 is in position under the plunger I05, the plunger will be moved downwardly to grip the spring due to the action of thecam I24 through cam plunger I2I, lever III and reciprocable member I01 each time the shaft 64 rotates through one complete cycle. While a spring 30 is clamped in position to be gaged, and, if necessary, adjusted at the station 32, a gaging and adjusting cycle will take place through the action of cams 68 and camming pins I56 on their respective levers 10 and I46, the adjusting operations of the lever I46 being interrupted when a spring is properly adjusted due to the energization of the solenoid I54 under control of the electrical circuit, which will be described hereinafter.

The apparatus may be placed in condition for operation by closing switches I3I, I32, I33 and I84 (Fig. 10). Closure of the switch I3I will supply current from volt A. C. source I35 to motor 136. which drives the shaft I1. Closure of switch I32 will connectthe 110 volt A. C. source will be completed once in each cycle of rotation of shaft by closure of switch 00 to step the brushes 20I, 202, 203 and 200 into engagement with the next succeeding contact in the arcuately disposed bank of contacts I01 to 200, respectively, thereby to move the brushes 20I, 202, 203 and 204'successively into engagement with all of the contacts on their respective banks.

2I0 is interconnected to the armature 200 and a lever 2| I, which is normally urged to rock in a counter-clockwise direction by a contractile spring 2. The lever 2 is fixed to the gate I00 and, therefore, normally tends to hold the gate I03 in a vertical position (Fig. 3) to permit springs discharged into the chute I to pass straight down through the passage I00 to a receptacle for receiving properly adjusted springs.

However, upon energization of the electromagnet 200, the gate I00 will be tilted to the position shown in dot and dash lines (Fig. 3) and will, accordingly, direct springs, which, when initially tested, didnot have sumcient tension in them through the passage I01 to. a receptacle (not shown) for receiving springs of this type. The electromagnet 201 has associated with it a gate actuating mechanism of exactly the same con- Each of the contacts in the bank I00 is connected to a condenser 220 individual thereto and each of the contacts in the bank 200 is connected to a condenser 22I individual thereto so that if battery is connected through either the brush 202 or the brush 200 when it is in engagement with one of its associated contacts, the condenser connected to that contact will be charged. The brushes l and 203 serve to interconnect the grid circuit of valves IOI and'I00, respectively, with their associated contacts in the banks 101 and I00, respectively. The contacts of the bank I01 are interconnected with the contacts of the bank I00 serially so that when the brush 20I or 203 is in engagement with its first contact, it is also connected to the sixth contact on the bank I00 or 200. Similarly, all of the contacts of the bank I01 are interconnected with all of the contacts of the bank I00, but are displaced six contacts and the contacts of the bank I00 are inter-' connected with the contacts of the bank 200, being displaced six positions so that a charge put on a condenser associated with the -contacts of bank I00 or bank 200 will be directed through the brushes 2M and 203'when the brush "I or 203 has moved six places from the place at which the charge was applied to the condenser 220 or 22I. In this manner, any charge applied to a condenser will be eifective to trip the valves I00 or I!" with which it is connected by the brush 203 or 20I after the table 20 has indexed six places from the place at which the charge was applied to the condenser. The plate circuits of the valves I00 and I 0I .are connected to the winding of relays 200 and 200, respectively, and

the other side of these windings is connected through switch 50 back to the rectifier circuit I00, near the end of the cycle of cam 03. Therestruction as that provided for th electromagnet 200 and when electromagnet 201 is energized, it will rock the gate I00 counter-clockwise to direct any springs 30 which, at the completion of an adjusting cycle, still has not the desired ten- 10 and when this operation is performed, spring fore, when a charge is applied to one of the conthrough the switch I03 and battery I00 to energize the electromagnets selectively at the time that a spring which had been gaged and adjusted at the gaging and adjusting station 32 reaches the discharge station 30.

The electromagnet 200 has its armature 200 pivoted at 200 (Fig. 3) and when the electromagnet 200 is energized, it will attract its armature 200, to which a link 2I0 is pivoted. The link 15 00 will tend to rock lever 0| counter-clockwise. If the tension in the spring 30 being tested is too great, spring 00 will be stretched and contact between contacts 05 and 00 will be opened. Each time, in'the cycle of operation, that the cam 00 raises the lever 10, cut-out switch 50 will be closed and the negative side of battery I02 will be applied to contacts 00 and 00 and through the switch 00 to contact 00. Therefore, if contact between contacts 00 and 00 opens before contact between contacts 00 and 00 opens, then none of the valves I00, I00 or I0 I will be tripped and camming Din I00 will engag camming projection I00 on lever I00 to cause the spring bending finger I33 to be moved downwardly and bend the spring 30 to take a definite amount of tension out of it. As soon as the first camming pin I00 moves out of engagement with the camming projection III, the circuits to the gage lever 01 will again be completed through switch 00 and the spring will be gaged. These gaging operations will continue until all of the camming pins I00 have passed under the camming pro- Jection I00 unless at some time during the portion of the cycle where the pins I00 are engaging the projection I 55, the spring 30 is adjusted by the spring bending finger I 33 to fall within the acceptable class.

If a spring under test is, as originally placed in the machine, too weak to be acceptable, the lever 01 will rock with the slide bar 11 and the first time the slide bar 11 moves upwardly, contact between contacts 00 and 00 will break before the contact between contacts 00 and 00 breaks and before the spring is bent by the spring bending finger I33. At this time in the cycle of operation of the apparatus, switch 01 is in the condition shown in Fig. 10 and, when contact between contacts 00 and 00 breaks while contact is still made between contacts 00 and 00, current from battery I02 will flow in a circuit through a resistance 2i: and ,a resistance 2I3 in series, thus making point 2 more positive than point 2I0 and the grid of trigger tube I88 will be less negative with respect to its cathode, causing the tube to trip and supply power from its plate circuit through switch 51 to energize a relay 2I8. The

' relay 2 I8, in pulling up, will supply battery from battery I88 through closed switch I88 and its make contact to energize the solenoid I58. When the solenoid I 58 is energized, it will raise the left end (Fig. 4) of the lever 88 against the action of the spring I88 and, accordingly, will interrupt the operation of the camming pins I58 on the camming projection I of lever I88 and thus prevent the application of pressure tending to adjust the spring 88 in the gaging and adjusting station. Relay 2I8, in addition to connecting battery to operate the solenoid I58, will also connect battery at I98 through switch I 88 and its break make contact to brush 282 to charge the condenser 288 associated with the contact in the bank I88 with which the brush is at that time in engagement The gaging operation just described will take place while the first raised portion of cam 18 is holding switch 59 closed and while switch 51 is in the condition shown in Fig. 10, and if the spring under test is stronger than desired, contact between contacts 85 and 88 will open before contact between the contacts 89 and 98 and, accordingly, resistance 2I8 will be cut out of the circuit of battery I92 and the valve I89 will not be tripped. Therefore, the next camming pin I58 will be permitted to engage the camming projection I55 due to the fact that the solenoid I58 will not be energized at this time.

As the disc I51 continues to rotate, the pins I58 will successively engage the camming projection I55 on the lever I88 and will continue to apply bending stresses to the spring 88 at the gaging and adjusting station until the spring is either properly adjusted or until all of the pins I 58 have moved past the camming projection I55. If the spring being gaged and adjusted falls within the proper class before the disc I51 completes its cycle and carries the last camming pin I58 past the camming projection I55, the contact between contacts 89 and 98 will be broken before contact between contacts 85 and 88 is broken and the valve I89 will be tripped.

As soon as the first high portion of the cam 18' has passed under the switch 59 and the switch reopens after first being closed, switch 51 will be shifted to carry its make-breakcontact into engagement with-its upper contact and, accordingly, the plate circuit of the valve I89 will then be connected to one side of the winding of a relay 2", the other side of the winding of which is connected to the rectifier I88. This will cause the relay 2" to be energized and shift its makebreak contact if contacts 89 and 98 open before contacts 85 and 88. The make-break contact of relay 2 I8, which is, at this time, deenergized, will supply current from battery I98, through switch I83, break-make contact of relay 2 I8, make contact of relay 2I1, to the solenoid I58, thereby to stop the operation of the bending finger I88 by lifting the camming projection I55 on lever I88 out of the path of the camming pins I58. Since switch 58 is open at this time, no condenser 22I will be charged when a spring 88 is properly adjusted during the cycle of adjusting operations and no condenser 228 will be charged at this time since relay 2I8 is not operated at this time through switch 51. Thereafter, neither the gate I85 nor I88 will be operated six steps later in the cycle of the table 29.

If, after all of the camming pins I58 have passed underthe camming projection I55, the

spring 88 being adjusted does not have the proper tension, contact between contacts 85 and 88 will be opened while the last raised portion of cam 18 is holding switch 89 closed. At this same time, switch 58 will be closed byits cam 8I and switch 51 will be in its middle position engaging neither of its contacts. Therefore, neither relay 2I8 nor relay 2I1 will be energized and a circuit will be completed from the positive side of battery I98, through switch I88, break contacts of relays 2I8 and 2 I1, through closed switch 258 and brush 288 to charge one of the condensers 22I whose assol5 ciated contact is at that time engaged by the brush 288. I

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that if, in the course of gaging a spring 38, the spring is properly adjusted, no condenser on the banks I98 or 288 will be charged, but, if the spring initially has less than the desired amount of tension stored in it, a condenser 228 will be charged before the first adjusting operation and solenoid I58 will be energized to prevent the bending finger I88 from bending the spring. If, after the adjusting cycle is completed, that is, the last of the camming pins I58 has engaged the camming projection I55, the spring under test is still too strong, a circuit will be completed to charge one of the condensers 22I.

Since the discharge station 38 is six steps removed around the periphery of the table 29 from the gaging and adjusting station 32, the spring tested at the gaging and adjustingstation and adjusted therein, if necessary, will have moved six steps before it is discharged into the chute I18 and, accordingly, any condenser 228 or 22I which was charged while a'spring was being gaged and adjusted, will be connected through the banks of contacts I91 and I99 to the brush 28I or 283, respectively, to apply potential to the grid circuit of the valves I9I or I98, respectively, after six complete cycles of the shafts 28 and 88, the brushes 28I, 282, 283, and 288 being stepped step by step into engagement with their associated contacts one step at a time after each gaging and adjusting operation due to the closure of switch by cam 88. In this manner, those springs which are gaged and, if necessary, adjusted at station 82, will be directed through either pastripping of either valve I98 orvalve I9I will energize relay 288 or relay 285, respectively, to selectively energize electromagnet 288 or electromagnet 281, as was described hereinbefore.

What is claimed is: v 1. An article adjusting apparatus comprising means for repeatedly testing the article to determine the quality thereof, means for making progressive adjustments in the article to impart said quality to it including means normally held in position to engage and adjust the article, and a solenoid responsive to said testing means and operable to remove the means normally engaging the article from contact with the article for interrupting the operation of the means for making progressive adjustments in the articlewhen the article has said quality.

2. An article adjusting apparatus comprising means for repeatedly testing the article to detertesting means for interrupting the operation 01' the means for making progressive adjustments in the article when the article has said quality including a solenoid energizable to lift-the adjusting means out of operative position, and means also under control or said testing means for sort ing articles into classes depending upon whether they are properly adjusted or have more or less than the desired quality.

3. An article testing and adjusting apparatus comprising means ior supporting an article in position to be tested, means for repeatedly testing the article while held in said position, means for making repeated adjustments to the article including an adjusting member and a pivoted lever for actuating said adjusting member, and means controlled by the testing means for interrupting operation of the adjusting means when the article is properly adjusted comprising means for normally supporting the pivoted lever in position to actuate the adjusting member, and means for shifting said last-mentioned means to render the pivoted lever inoperative.

4. A spring adjusting apparatus comprising leverage mechanism operable to bend a spring in successive increasing increments, a cam drum for actuating the leverage mechanism, a solenoid, means actuatable by said solenoid for pivotally supporting a part of the leverage mechanism in operative association with the cam drum whenthe solenoid is deenergized, means for testing the spring before each bending operation, and means controlled by the testing means for rendering the bending means ineffective to perform succeeding bending operations when a spring has a predetermined tension including means for energizing said solenoid.

5. In a spring adjusting apparatus, means for engaging a spring to bend it, means for actuating the spring engaging means in successively increasing amounts, a normally deenergized solenoid for normally holding the spring engaging means and its actuating means in operative relation, power means to deenergize the solenoid to interrupt operation of the engaging means by its actuating means, and a testing means for controlling said solenoid.

6. In a spring adjusting apparatus, an adjusting station and a discharge sation, means for moving articles step by step past the adjusting station to the discharge station, means for testing articles in the adjusting station, means controlled by the testing means for adjusting articles in the moving articles step by step past the adjusting station to the discharge station, means for testing articles in the adjusting station, means controlled by the testing means for adjusting articles when necessary, means under control of the testing means for registering in which of-three classes an article falls, and means operable after the article has been moved to the discharge station for directing the article to one of three places under control of the registering means, said registering means including banks of condensers for receiving a charge while an article is being tested and for utilizing said charge when the articles are being sorted.

8. In a spring adjusting apparatus, an adjusting station and a discharge station, means for moving articles step by step past the adjusting station to the discharge station, means for testing articles in the adjusting station, means controlled by the testing means for adjusting articles when necessary, means under control of the testing means for registering in which of three classes an article falls. and means operable after the article has been moved to the discharge station for directing the article to one of three places under control of the registering means, said registering means including a plurality of banks of condensers, means under control of the testing means for. applying a charge selectively to a condenser when an article is in a predetermined class, and means operable by the charge on said condenser for effecting the operation of the means for directing the article to one of three places.

9. An article testing and adjusting apparatus comprising an article carrying means, means disposed in the path of said article carrying means for testing an article, means also in the path of an article on the carrying means for stripping the article therefrom, and means controlled by the testing means for sorting the articles when they are stripped from the carrying means, said sorting means including banks 0! condensers operable under control of the testing means when the article is in one position and dischargeable to control the sorting means when the article is in another position.

10. A spring adjusting and testing apparatus comprising an indexable table for carrying articles to a plurality of positions, means adjacent one position of said table for repeatedly testing and progressively adjusting a spring, means for moving said table step by step, a sorting means also adjacent another position of said table removed a number of steps from the testing and adjusting means, means responsive to the testing means for registering the result of testing operations on the spring, and means interconnecting the sorting means and registering means .to control the sorting means in accordance with registrations made by the registering means under control of the testing means.

DONALD T. ROBB. 

